Chapter 8 - Episode 8: Let's Seek Revenge Together
This is interesting. What a twist of fate.
Forgetting that he had been trembling in fear of death until just a moment ago, Noein Arqvist was delighted by this encounter.
Back when he was under house arrest in the detached building of the Count Kivileft estate, Noein had been able to gather some information about the outside world. His primary source was eavesdropping, utilizing Matilda's sense of hearing.
According to that, Count Kivileft was a small man, a miser, and a corrupt lord who did not care what happened to those beneath him as long as it served his own profit.
Furthermore, he had heard that when providing troops for the conflict with the Pallas Empire to the east as a duty of the high nobility, the Count had hired many mercenaries who were cheaper and more disposable than the regular army.
When he heard the life stories of these bandits, who claimed they had been "used and discarded by the southern nobility," he asked a few questions on a whim, and he hit the jackpot.
They, too, had been toyed with and thrown away by that father. So, they were in a similar situation to his own.
"I see. I see, I see. So you all were toyed with by that piece-of-shit father of mine as well."
A feeling akin to affection suddenly sprouted within him toward them, and when he showed them a smile, the bandits stepped back for some reason with terrified expressions.
Even the man in the leadership role, who had been so menacing, was flinching.
Why are they terrified? Until a moment ago, you were the ones making me terrified.
"...Hey, what's with you?"
The leader asked, as if steeling his resolve. I see, you want to know. Then, I shall tell you.
"I am the son of Maximilian Kivileft, the man who drove you into this situation. I am the child of a concubine, raised locked away in a corner of the estate and thrown out here into the Bezel Great Forest in the hope that I would die in the wild."
.....
To think that people who could share his hatred for that piece-of-shit father would actually appear.
With an expression full of such joy, Noein spoke of his circumstances and his resentment toward his father.
No matter how much he spoke, the words overflowed like a waterfall. Putting it into words again, he was surprised himself by how much grudge and resentment had accumulated.
Because his manner of speaking contained a great deal of Noein's subjectivity and hatred, the content was heavily skewed in Noein's favor, but in the end, it could be said that this worked in his favor to elicit the bandits' sympathy.
"...I understand the situation. I also understand that you're not just some pampered noble brat."
When Noein had finished pouring out his heart—or rather, when he physically stopped speaking because he ran out of breath—the leader finally responded with an expression that looked as if the aggression had been drained out of him.
"So... well, I'll stop the idea of killing you. I've lost the mood. I can't bring myself to kill someone who was discarded by that shitty noble and expected to die in the wild at such a kid-like age. Is that alright with the rest of you?"
When the leader looked back, his four subordinates nodded, their expressions still looking as if they had been caught off guard.
"But what are you going to do? At your age, with a frail body, with nothing but that rabbit-person slave and a golem as underlings, and in a situation where you lack funds... do you seriously intend to develop the forest that shitty old man forced upon you? Why don't you just run away?"
To the man who sat down heavily on the spot and asked with a half-bewildered tone, Noein answered with a gentle expression.
"I want to have revenge on my father. A revenge where I live a life more happy and full of love than he ever did."
"...Huh?"
"I hate my father. I despise my father. Therefore, I will obtain everything that my father stole from me, and everything that my father does not possess. I will absolutely not become like my father. I will create a territory where the people can live happily, and I will spend my life as a lord who loves the people and is loved by the people. That is my own form of revenge."
Yuri listened to this kid's words with a feeling of disbelief.
Too idealistic. Too visionary. It was difficult to accept on short notice.
However, those eyes were staring straight at Yuri, and it didn't seem like he was lying.
"That's right, since we're at it, why don't you all come to my territory? Why not become my people? I swear that I will love you for the rest of your lives and fulfill my duties as a lord for your sakes."
"...H-huh?"
Yuri became even more bewildered. This made even less sense than the previous words.
Is this brat serious?
Welcoming people into his territory who were trying to kill him until just a moment ago?
Loving people who tried to kill him?
Us, who had fallen so far as to become bandits?
"We're being hunted by your old man's army, you know? Besides, we were bandits. We didn't kill or rape, but we survived by stealing people's luggage and assets."
"I can say for certain that that piece-of-shit father won't go through the trouble of chasing you all the way to the edge of the kingdom just because a few subordinates were killed. Besides, what does it matter that you were bandits? If I were in the same situation, I would have done the same thing to survive."
"...We tried to kill you."
"That's because you didn't know my circumstances. But it's different now, right? Then it's a closed chapter. A trivial matter."
This brat just called the fact that he was almost killed a trivial matter.
"You lost the path to living decently because of that piece-of-shit father, right? Then, let's seek revenge together. A revenge of living happily."
...As expected, this kid's words were beyond his understanding.
If he couldn't understand by listening to the words, he had no choice but to judge the true intent by looking at the eyes.
Yuri stared intently into the kid's eyes. Staring straight back... as expected, he could only think that he was speaking from the heart.
He didn't think a kid of this age could make eyes like that with a lie.
The development of the conversation was incomprehensible, but there was a strange persuasiveness and charm to the words this kid spoke.
Until a moment ago, he had thought he was just a brat who cried and whimpered, but now he could feel a strange charisma emanating from him.
While being touched by that unknowable pressure, his own desire for revenge, which had been boiling with the thought that "at least nobles must be killed," cooled down considerably. At the very least, he had become calm enough to not think about killing anyone and everyone just because they were nobles.
His hatred from a moment ago now seemed like a terribly childish way of thinking.
"...What if your words are a lie?"
The fact that he was asking such a thing meant he was already drawn to the kid's words.
"If you judge that I have become a lord not worthy of your love, or if you think I am the same kind of noble as my piece-of-shit father, then you can just cut me down and kill me."
Just as before, the kid spat out those words as if it were nothing. Those eyes were still serious.
...I'm beaten.
This invitation was very attractive. Originally, they had lived reasonably decently as mercenaries. The time they spent as bandits while hating the nobility was the anomaly. If they could return to a law-abiding life, they would naturally be happier.
Yuri looked away from the kid and looked at his subordinates. He looked into the eyes of the subordinates who had chosen to follow him even to the point of falling into banditry.
They were comrades who had kept the oath of "no killing, no raping" to maintain a minimum level of pride even after becoming bandits. Even without hearing their words now, their will could be confirmed by meeting their eyes and nodding to one another.
Their thoughts seemed to be the same as his.
They had lost their status and assets anyway, and had fallen to the level of bandits. Even if they continued to run around the kingdom, they wouldn't be able to lead a decent life.
In that case, it might be fine to go along with the strange words of this strange kid.
Having their lives destroyed by a rotten noble, and then betting the remainder of their lives on a crazy noble brat who is that man's child. It was an ironic story.
Turning toward the kid again, Yuri gave his answer to the invitation.
"Understood. When that time comes, I'll cut you down. But until then—"
Yuri spun the sword he held, pointed it downward, thrust the blade into the ground, bowed his head, and knelt. The four subordinates followed suit.
"—we shall be the sword that strikes down your enemies, and the shield that protects you from your enemies. We pledge our loyalty to you."
It was a warrior's oath well-known in the Kingdom of Lordberg.
In this moment, new people were added to the Arqvist territory.
.....
"Thank you. I also swear to respond to your loyalty."
To the bandits who had stated their oath with their swords planted, Noein returned the oath.
Having finished the makeshift ceremony, the bandit leader—who was apparently named Yuri—looked a bit embarrassed and awkward, hesitating as he spoke, "Well, that's how it is. Now, about what happens from here..."
Noein also hesitated a bit on what words to address to Yuri and the others, who had been "bandits trying to take his life" until just a moment ago, but were now his people.
As if trying to shift the atmosphere, the man whose nosebleed had finally stopped opened his mouth.
"F-for now, let's go untie that rabbit-woman's ropes."
Just as he finished speaking,
"Hyaaaaah!"
With a battle cry, Matilda leaped out from the bushes in a kicking stance, turning him back into the nosebleed man.